Santa Fe, NM – Two memorials to honor Vietnam veterans passed the New Mexico House. HM 69 requests that a bridge located on Interstate 40, exit 47, at the continental divide, be named after Jackson Gibson. HM 70 requests that a bridge located at Interstate 40, exit 81, in Grants be named the “Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge.” Both memorials are sponsored by Reps. Harry Garcia (D-Grants) and D. Wonda Johnson (D-Church Rock).

Santa Fe, NM – Today, a House Memorial sponsored by Reps. Georgene Louis (D-Albuquerque) and Derrick Lente (D-Sandia Pueblo) to protect the rights of Native children and tribes, passed the House Floor. House Memorial 83 requests the Tribal Indian Child Welfare Consortium make recommendations to ensure the local governments and the state are fulfilling the obligations set out in the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.

Santa Fe, NM- Today, a memorial to increase quality classroom time for students passed the New Mexico House. HM 34, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard (D-Los Alamos), would convene a task force to study the feasibility of a reduction in paperwork required of education employees, and would modify the New Mexico administrative code to aid in that reduction.

SANTA FE—This evening, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 79, a bipartisan effort to create a statewide tax holiday for Small Business Saturday. The bill passed by a vote of 43 to 20. Rep. David Adkins (R-Albuquerque) has championed this endeavor for the past two years, and he teamed with Rep. Doreen Gallegos (D-Las Cruces) and Sen. Steven Neville (R-Aztec) on this year’s proposal.

Santa Fe, NM – Today, a bill to address child poverty passed the New Mexico House. HB 136, introduced by Rep. Patricio Ruiloba (D-Albuquerque), would require schools to provide training on the effects of poverty to school employees who work with at-risk students.

“Confronting the challenging effects of poverty will help our schools improve their students’ academic success, and will give staff the resources they need to better serve these students,” said Rep. Patricio Ruiloba.

SANTA FE—This afternoon, the House of Representatives passed a plan to make it easier for the state to sell abandoned real property for which delinquent property tax is due. The legislation, House Bill 88, is backed by Rep. Alonzo Baldonado (R-Los Lunas), Rep. Kelly Fajardo (R-Los Lunas), Rep. Gail Armstrong (R-Magdalena), and Sen. Greg Baca (R-Belen).

HB 88 creates an online marketplace for the sale of delinquent or abandoned properties. It gives the NM Tax and Revenue Department the flexibility to lower tax penalties and interest on properties if it will make them more attractive to potential buyers. The bill also gives New Mexico land grants the right of first offer on abandoned properties located within the boundaries of the land grant.